


The Mystery That is Mickey Milkovich

by SolariaLunar21



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, M/M, POV Outsider, Post Season 10, Post canon, or well starts in S7 but mostly is post Season 10, when i say minor ian/trevor i mean very minor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:41:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23321131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolariaLunar21/pseuds/SolariaLunar21
Summary: The first time Trevor ever hears about Mickey Milkovich is when he’s been dating Ian for a few weeks and it’s not even by name.Or the one where Trevor's intrigued by the mysterious Mickey Milkovich and one day finally meets him.
Relationships: Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Minor Ian Gallagher/Trevor - Relationship
Comments: 36
Kudos: 508





	The Mystery That is Mickey Milkovich

**Author's Note:**

> I stopped watching Shameless after season 5 then Ian and Mickey got married and I spent all of January and February bingewatching it and I have zero regrets! 
> 
> This fic is born from my obsession with Outsider POV's and the fact that I don't hate Trevor as a character or as a friend for Ian. I'm not the biggest fan of their romantic relationship but I feel like they worked as friends. This fic is not for you if you absolutely can't stand Trevor as a character because this is completely told from his point of view. So please spare the hate and back out now, kindness is always the right choice :). At the end of the day though this is a Gallavich fic, 100% and I hope you enjoy it!

The first time Trevor ever hears about Mickey Milkovich is when he’s been dating Ian for a few weeks and it’s not even by name. Their hanging out at Trevor’s in the middle of the afternoon sharing a joint when the question falls out of Trevor’s mouth without thought.

“You ever been in love?” he asks watching as Ian’s face goes on a journey that he has no idea how to decipher in a few seconds before he replies. 

“Yeah, once, you?”

“Twice, once in college right after I transitioned, he was a good guy, but we drifted apart, then the second time well…that was a total shit show to say the least. What about you?” he asks rolling in close to Ian who wraps an arm around him before responding.

“He was…the best guy that I knew even if most people would take one look at him and write him off as another South Side thug. Came out for me to his homophobic evil prick of a dad, almost got himself killed for it. He was there when I was diagnosed, got me on my meds, researched all the side effects, talked to doctor’s to find out what I should and shouldn’t do,” Ian says in a sort of trance like state that makes Trevor wonder where his brains at.

“So, what happened?” he finally asks when it looks like Ian's got nothing further to say.

“I pushed him away thought he’d be better off…not like he’s around anymore anyways,” Ian says with a shrug and pain in his eyes that makes Trevor think of the worst. He’s about to ask but Ian leans over to kiss him before making an excuse that he needs to use the bathroom and the conversation is effectively over.

He learns Mickey’s name a couple of months later standing on the Gallagher’s front stoop behind Ian as the cops ask him if he’s had any contact with a Mikhalio Alexander Milkovich and the way Ian’s voice sounds when he says the name Mickey takes Trevor back to that hazy afternoon. When the cops are sure Ian’s had no contact with his ex, they all head inside, Trevor tries to get Ian to talk but he refuses. The next morning, he hopes Ian will open up more but knows it’s no good even when Ian says Mickey’s fucking nuts.

Almost a week later when Ian shows up after having gone AWOL the only surprising part of the visit is hearing Monica’s dead. When Ian states he was with Mickey Trevor’s 100% positive that the two weren’t just having a few beers and laughing about the past. He goes to Monica’s service, but he bails after, doesn’t want anything else to do with Ian because he dealt with cheating and lies the last time he fell in love and he’s not doing it again.

Ian’s persistent though, he gets back in Trevor’s good graces and eventually his pants without Trevor completely understanding how he allowed it to happen. Before he allows it to happen again though he wants answers, ones he doesn’t think he’ll ever get from Ian so he goes to the only Gallagher he thinks would know anything about why Ian would even run away with Mickey in the first place.

“Hey man, what’re you doing here?” Lip asks when Trevor walks into the back entrance of Born Free Cycles a couple days after he’s hooked up with Ian again.

“You got a minute?”

“Ian okay?”

“Yeah, I wanna know about Mickey, figured if Ian talked to any of his sibling’s about him it would be you,” Trevor says not wanting to deal with bullshit small talk for too long. Lip pauses what he’s doing for a second but nods.

“So, what do you wanna know?” Lip asks a few minutes later lighting up a cigarette, as they sit on the curb outside.

“Anything, Ian’s only told me that they were together when you guys first found out he was bipolar, I know he was or is still in love with him. I just want to know what I could be in for if I get back with Ian.”

“Yeah Ian’s never really been open when it comes to Mickey, think it’s a habit because they were fucking in secret for so long.”

“How long?”

“Started fucking when Ian was fifteen, he didn’t tell me for a while but finally did one day when Mickey was in juvie the first time. To say I was shocked was a bit of an understatement, Mickey wasn't exactly a tolerant guy, Ian didn’t tell me much, but I guess they kept hooking up once Mickey got out…both times. I don’t know what went down but Mickey got married and Ian was fucked up about it, stole my ID and enlisted.”

“That’s when he had his first episode wasn’t it?” Trevor asks.

While Ian was tight lipped about Mickey, he’d been open about the events surrounding his diagnosis for the most part.

“Yeah, Mickey dragged Ian’s ass home not sure how, but he stuck around, came out in front of his father and almost got himself killed. Mickey tried to kill Sammi our psycho half-sister because she told the MP’s where Ian was that’s why Mickey was locked up. After he went to jail…Ian refused to talk about him with anyone. Does that help?”

“A little,” he replies standing up to walk away but he pauses when Lip calls his name behind him.

“Look I can’t tell you if you should or shouldn’t be with my brother but I can tell you this: Ian’s probably always going to be in love with Mickey fuck knows exactly why but in their own fucked up way they worked. If that’s too much for you…then don’t be with Ian alright? You’re a good dude I’d hate to see either of you fucked over again because of fucking Mickey Milkovich.”

“Thanks Lip,” he replies before walking away for real.

In the end it’s not the specter of Mickey that drives Trevor away but Ian himself when he gets in over his head with the Gay Jesus propaganda train. After Ian gets arrested Trevor moves on with his life, he knows that Ian gets out before his official hearing and he knows that Ian goes to jail for real a few weeks later but that’s the last he hears about him for a long time.

Without knowing it Trevor finds out about Ian’s engagement to Mickey from a coworker of his named Katie when he gets back to work after having the flu.

“You missed the craziest shit at that Imperial Mammoth show the other night,” she tells him when they have a break in the day.

“What happened?”

“You remember that annoying prick Byron that Jamie tried to hook you up with?”

“Short guy drives a vespa?”

“Yeah him, well he was there with his newest fling and all his little buddies. I don’t know the details but apparently, he said something that pissed this one guy off because a fight broke out. It was one on three and let’s just say Byron and his buddies definitely didn’t grow up on the South Side.”

“Sorry I missed it,” he says dryly because violence has never been his cup of tea even less so since everything went down with Ian.

“That’s not even the best part! So, the one guy that started the fight? Stops punching long enough and proposes to Byron’s date.”

 _“What?”_

“Yeah down on one knee and everything, the other guy said yes and they like hard core made out before they realized that the one dude totally just knocked out like three guys. Then they sort of just got out of there. I didn’t get a good look at either of them though with my short ass.”

“Well congratulations to those two…sounds like they’ve got a super healthy relationship.” Trevor remarks rolling his eyes before getting back to work, (he finds out years later that the two men in question were Ian and Mickey at a house party at the Gallagher’s and laughs for a good hour afterwards, because really with what he knows now about Ian and Mickey’s relationship a bar fight leading to their engagement fits perfectly).

The first time he ever sees Mickey Milkovich is six months later without even knowing it. Trevor’s at his favorite diner picking up lunch when he notices a new busser clearing off the tables. The guy’s short, kind of stocky, with jet black hair and knuckle tattoos that Trevor’s 90% sure on one hand say FUCK. For some reason he feels like he’s seen the guy before but has no clue where he would’ve.

“New guy?” He asks his friend who works as a waiter Alex, they look over to where Trevor’s indicated and nod.

“Yeah, started a few weeks ago, usually works the morning shift,” they respond.

“Anything else, I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.”

“He’s on parole, but that’s really about it. Keeps his head down, quiet sort of dude doesn’t talk to people much, doesn’t seem like your type though,” Alex states raising one of their eyebrows.

“Oh no I’m not looking for that,” Trevor responds with a laugh because while the guy is hot, he really isn’t Trevor’s usual type. His food’s up then so he takes his to go bag and leaves.

The new busser is there again when Trevor shows up a few days later to grab his breakfast, this time he’s outside on the phone smoking a cigarette.

“Hey, they need me to pull a double today, apparently that asshole I covered for a few days ago got himself thrown back in the joint, can you pick up Little Red from VP whatever the fuck it is?....yeah, I talked to Kev said they could watch her but can’t leave the bar…okay…yeah…you too you fucker,” the guy says before hanging up the phone as Trevor goes to grab the door. He gives Trevor a glance before going back to his cigarette and Trevor gives him a nod before heading inside.

That’s the way his interactions with the guy go for the next few weeks, he never learns his name, but he always seems to catch the guy when he’s on his break talking on the phone with someone. A lot of the conversations seem to be with the same person, sometimes he hears Little Red again and assumes that he’s talking about his kid but other than that Trevor knows nothing about the guy.

He speaks to Mickey Milkovich after this goes on for three weeks but still has no idea the guy is Ian’s Mickey. Trevor’s getting his lunch to go, and the diner is a mad house of activity that can only be described as chaotic. He’s in a bit of a rush because he’s supposed to be meeting with a contractor for an expansion that they’ve been thinking of making on the shelter in thirty minutes and isn’t so sure that his food will come in time. Just as he’s checking his phone for the time again and about to give up by texting Alex to hold his food the busser approaches him.

“You Trevor?” the guy asks, holding a bag of food in his hand.

“Yeah that’s me.”

“Here’s your food,” the guy, or Mickey as Trevor can see on his name tag replies handing Trevor the bag in his hand.

“Thanks, I paid in advance so we should be good right?”

“Yeah that’s what Alex said,” Mickey replies before he walks away and Trevor leaves bag in hand and rushing back to the center to meet with the contractors.

It’s not until later that night that Trevor even realizes that the guy at the diner shares the same name as Ian’s ex. It’s not like there’s only one guy in the South Side named Mickey, fuck Trevor’s met at least two other Mickey’s since he dated Ian. Plus, as far as Trevor knows Ian’s ex is still a fugitive running away from the law. Shaking his head, he focuses back on getting paperwork together for one of his kids and moves on with his night.

Trevor finally officially meets Mickey Milkovich after he bumps into Ian two weeks later. He’s spent the past two weeks caught up in red tape to file building permits for the new wing on the shelter that he’s barely had a second to breathe let alone go to his favorite dining spot. So, when he steps out of the pharmacy down the street from the diner after picking up his T-prescription and runs right into Ian Gallagher surprised is an understatement.

“Ian shit hi,” he says.

“Trevor hey, how are you?” Ian says awkwardly hands in his pockets.

“Good, just picking up my usual,” he says shaking the bag as Ian nods, “so you’re out obviously.”

“Yeah, got out almost a year ago now,” Ian says with a shrug of his shoulders.

“That’s good, how’s the family?” he asks to be polite.

“Same old Gallagher shit, but Lip’s a dad now his kid just turned one.”

“Tell him I said congratulations.”

“I will,” Ian replies and they both stand there awkwardly for a few moments before Trevor breaks the silence.

“Well I better get going, I’m meeting a friend for lunch and don’t want to be late.”

“No no, of course, it was good to see you,” Ian replies with a half-smile that Trevor used to get butterflies over and thankfully no longer does.

“You too,” he responds actually meaning it before heading down the block where he’s meeting Katie at the diner. He gets in and spots her in their usual booth towards the back and joins her.

“Hey line at the pharmacy long?” she asks when he sits down.

“No, bumped into my ex,” he responds.

“Oh, shit which one? The lying cheat, the convict, or the college boy toy?”

“The convict, guess he got out early or something, didn’t talk for long we just said hi.”

“Soooooo?” Katie asks and Trevor rolls his eyes. He hired Katie two months after Ian was first arrested and they’d gotten drunk off their faces one night and he’d spilled the whole sordid tale to her. Since then she’s been half convinced that Ian’s the one that got away, Trevor doesn’t have the heart to tell her that he’s pretty sure Ian’s someone’s one that got away but it’s not his.

“And nothing, he’s a good guy and we had fun before everything went to shit but I realized he’s not the right guy for me.”

“Well you haven’t dated anyone serious since I just thought it was because of him.”

“Or it could be partly due to the fact that I run a homeless shelter for LGBTQIA+ teens that’s undergoing an expansion at the moment while also still continuing to work at the youth center.”

“Okay okay, I’ll back off,” Katie responds with a sigh.

Trevor shakes his head and looks up when the waiter approaches. They order their food and as they wait Katie catches him up on the latest roommate drama she’s going through that week. He’s laughing at the story she’s telling when the door opens, and he spots Ian’s tall frame walk into the diner. Ian looks around the room but stops just shy of spying Trevor and Katie’s booth and zero’s in on the busser Mickey who is cleaning off a table down the row from them.

“Hey, you know where I can find a good bite to eat around here?” Trevor hears Ian ask Mickey as he sidles up to him.

“Depends what’re you looking for?” Mickey responds to Ian with a smirk as Trevor realizes that Mickey the busser is 100% also Ian’s Mickey.

“Nothing special just a piece of South Side trash that answers to husband I think would do,” Ian states with a twinkle in his eye that Trevor’s never seen before. He’s more shocked though at the fact that Ian just said Mickey was his _husband_ of all things.

“I think I can find you one of those,” Mickey responds leaning in to kiss Ian quickly before pulling away and continuing to clean off the table, “grab a table for a few I’ve got like fifteen minutes then we can leave, you already go to the pharmacy for your refill’s?”

“Yeah just left there, got more of Franny’s shampoo too since I saw we were running low.”

“Shit, we gotta stop washing Little Red’s hair so much we’re gonna go broke just fucking buying shampoo and shit for a toddler.”

“It’ll be fine, my 90 days are almost up at the call center and then I can apply for health insurance and we won’t have to worry about covering my meds anymore.”

“Yeah yeah, you want anything to eat for real?”

“Burger?”

“Got it,” Mickey says slapping Ian’s ass on the way by causing the other man to laugh and finally look up at where Trevor’s sitting with Katie. Trevor’s pretty sure he’s a little bit in shock but awkwardly waves at Ian who stares back sheepishly.

“Trevor are you even paying attention to me?” Katie asks him and he shakes his head before focusing back on her.

“No sorry, uh would you believe me if I said Ian just walked in and I’m pretty sure he’s married to that busser over there?” he whispers not wanting to attract even more attention.

“No shit, really?” she replies turning around and catching Ian’s eye as he obviously is internally debating if he should come over and make the whole situation even more awkward. Apparently, Ian wants to make the day as awkward as possible because he approaches Trevor and Katie’s table.

“Hey two times in one day…that’s weird,” Ian says scratching his neck with his left hand. Trevor can now see the two bands stacked on top of one another, both simple but unmistakably wedding rings.

“Yup…I’m guessing that’s Mickey?” Trevor says hoping to get this interaction over with as quickly as possible, pointing in the direction that Mickey disappeared too a few moments earlier.

“Huh? Oh yeah that’s Mickey,” Ian says but Trevor can’t help but notice the way Ian’s eyes go warm at the mention of his husband.

“Thought he was in Mexico?”

“Oh, uh long story but he got himself locked up with me at Beckman and well rest is history I guess?”

“And you two got married,” Trevor states this time instead of asking because that part is obvious.

“Yeah, just over 6 months ago,” Ian replies fondly looking down at his wedding rings, Trevor just nods and looks to see if his food is on it’s way over yet when he spots Mickey coming up behind Ian.

“Hey, burger should be up in 5 you gonna be sitting over here?” Mickey asks upon his approach.

“Oh no just saying hi…Mickey this is Trevor,” Ian says gesturing to Trevor.

“Yeah I’ve seen you around, friend’s with Alex right?” Mickey says either oblivious to the fact that Trevor used to date his husband or deciding he doesn’t want to acknowledge it.

“Yeah, and you’re Ian’s Mickey,” Trevor replies a little snarky because he can’t help it. He’s over Ian 100% over him, but Mickey’s the guy that Ian ran away with when he should’ve been with Trevor so he’s still a little bitter over it.

“Oh, you the one that fucked Ian or the one that cheated on him with a chick?” Mickey asks then bluntly which causes Trevor to laugh dryly.

“Guess I’m the one that fucked Ian,” Trevor replies looking at Ian who rolls eyes his and pinches his husband in the side. Mickey for his part bats Ian’s hand away and grumbles something under his breath that Trevor can’t hear but causes Ian to chuckle.

“Anyways, the both of us will get out of your hair, have a good rest of your lunch,” Ian says waving to both of them and walking over to a booth towards the front of the diner Mickey following behind him shaking his head.

Trevor expects that to be the last of his interactions with Mickey Milkovich but apparently the other man is full of surprises because he sits down across from Trevor three days later and says:

“I’m not gonna apologize for being the dude that Ian cheated on you with that’s not me and I’m not ever gonna apologize for loving him and wanting to spend the rest of my admittedly fucked up life with the guy, but I fucking get it. The whole being cheated on by Ian thing I fucking get how much that fucking sucks so I’m sorry you had to deal with that shit too.”

“Um okay?” Trevor’s not too sure why Mickey’s talking to him, but the mystery unfolds a moment later when Mickey continues, 

“Look you’re not a bad dude from everything Ian tells me and I gotta finish my community service hours for my parole and I’m sick of picking up trash so I was wondering if you needed help at that shelter Ian says you run.”

To say Trevor is surprised is a little bit of an understatement, for everything he’s heard about Mickey he’d never expect him to want to work at a shelter of all places for his community service. He’s also not going to look free help in the face so of course he says yes. Mickey starts showing up with Ian in tow a few days later at the shelter. Ian looks sheepish at first, but Trevor treats him like normal and that seems to do the trick.

Mickey helps with building the expansion after Trevor has him sign a bunch of waivers as well as setting up beds each night and Ian helps with first aid. Slowly but surely Trevor finds out more and more about Mickey and Ian’s relationship whether it’s by observation or comments the other two make and he finally starts to understand _why_ Ian ran off with Mickey in the first place. So while Mickey Milkovich Ian’s fugitive ex remained a mystery for so long, Mickey Milkovich- _Gallagher_ Ian’s husband and Trevor’s friend isn’t a mystery at all.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this little fic during this crazy time we are all currently living in! Also I imagine the call center Ian mentions being a 911 call center because I'm not certain he'd be able to work as an EMT again outside of that crazy shit with Paula but you never know with Shameless!


End file.
